Peaklife vs Rage gps systems

[jasext]

Well i have had the Rage for around 3-4 weeks now although not used it in anger i have been disappointed in it.

First of all when you plug it into the pc it recognizes it as a USB portable device, you cannot access the registry or use active sync, you need to get a program that actually overrides this and gives you access to sync it .
Getting IGO8 to work is quite simple after that although you do need to change settings in the program itself as this is a widescreen version , once that is done it will work fine.

Now comes the hard bit Memory Map is a completely different game altogether, i spent hours trying to get this to work, i managed to get the maps and everything working fine BUT to activate the license was a nightmare.
I went back to basics and tied almost everything but still conflict between license and com ports were a huge issue, left it alone for a week as my brain was fried and went away on holiday.

Came back for a fresh go and start all over again, this time finally cracked it, i wont go into how it was done although it does involve a lot of registry editing and manipulating the software, so there you have it it can be done.

I have had my peaklife for a number of years and given it a good test, 10 days in Scotland using TOMTOM and 5 days trail riding around Wales, broken 2 ram mount arms and cracked 1 holder, been upside down in rivers many times and it still works perfect.
Benefits i see with the Rage over the Peaklife is it has a larger screen, better holder and the sound is slightly better.

Benefits with the Peaklife over the Rage, fully tested in anger, more rugged, buttons are larger and easier on the music function.

The only disadvantages to both are , They are difficult to see in daylight but other than that they are fantastic .

If you are looking for a sat nav that will do it all then these win hands down and when compared to a £400 Garmin these are cheap as chips , why bother using your expensive mobile when after long periods of use they will fry the processor ( i have done 2)

[akendall1966]

I have had a Rage about the same length of time as Jasext, and we have swapped info as we got our units set up. SO I thought I would add my experience in-case its helps anyone out. I don't have and have never used a Peak Life so can't compare, but chose the rage for its larger screen.

I got mine from China vision and it arrived no problem about 5 days after ordering (UPS Delivery). The shell of the unit looks quite rugged but it quite hard plastic not the rubbery stuff usually seen on rugged units. Apart from the water proof plugs that reveal SD slot, USB Port and what looks like an audio jack and the on-off button the unit is completely sealed. There is no option to remove or change the battery so hopefully it is decent quality and will last. You only get one holder and a suction and handlebar mount. According to China Vision additional holders are not available to buy.

Unit powers up into its own shell application which provides nvaigation / media player / tools (calculator, unit conversion, calendar), and setting. When you plug the unit into a PC by USB it is set up from the factory to behave like a mass storage device (usb stick). This gives you access to any inserted SD card to copy onto and off of the device. Problem here is there is a useful 3gb internal memory space you cannot access.

After some searching we found there is a registry setting that switches this behaviour, more recently I have found the rages own software has a utility hidden under setting that switches between mass storage and serial / active sync. To enable this hidden button you must edit the registry setting for the software modifying this key:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\OEM\ShellEx\USB]
"enable"=dword:00000001
"layout"=dword:00000001
"mode"=dword:00000001

Setting enable to "00000001" add an extra button to the setting page that allows you to change behaviour.

While you changing the software setting another useful change is there is also a hidden button that switch the device from its GPS shell to windows CE.

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\OEM\ShellEx\Wince]
"enable"=dword:00000001
"layout"=dword:00000001

Again setting the enable value to '1' add this extra button.

Installing navigation software was fairly straight forward but getting memory map to retain its license was initially difficult. I have put all my navigation software and map data on a 8gb microSD card.

IGo Primo (v9) once copied onto the SD card just runs and finds the internal GPS by itself. It is really smooth graphics so the unit is certainly up to the task I have tried this on a 200 miles plus round trip and it works well. Paired with my bluetooth headset sound is clear, and has a resonable music player built into Igo too.

OziExplorer, this is similar to IGo just copy the files to the SD card and it works. Just make sure you get the CE version when you download it. I only have the trail version to experiment with but I like that it supposedly can do track up raster maps and even give basic navigation on screen and through audio from GPX routes. If it works OK, would make it better the MemoryMap IMHO.

Memory Map (V5) - Again installing the software is fairly easy, don't try and do it from the PC version. You need to go to the memorymap site and don load the RoadAngle v5.4 update http://www.memory-map.co.uk/dl_mm_navigator.htm Unzip the files and copy to the SD card.

To set up the GPS go to the setting subfolder and find the file GPS_params.ini, if it not already change the one line it contains to read "1,0,COM1: ,4,1,0,0,- ,1,6,100,500,0" and save it again.

Now for the fun!! When you run the MM software on the rage it will warn you GPS features are not licensed and not available. Under the mew MM license you have to purchase an area of map to gain a license for the GPS features, which I did. You now need to transfer the license to the device. Go you your newly enable button and set the unit into activesync mode from mass storage. Plug it into your PC, if your lucky it will connect and ask if you want to create a partnership. Select no at this point. For me active sync to the device is really flakey, I get a warning that a firewall might be blocking it. I find if you pull out the cable and insert again it will connect properly eventually, but it maight take a lot of attempts. This is the worst problem I have, and have not found a fix yet!!

Once you do have an activesync connection on the PC load the map you have licensed, go to the mobile device menu and either send the map to the device or send the visible portion. This transfers the map, its license and the license for the GPS feature. Now when you start MM the GPS signal should be used and MM will get a fix on your position.

However, the next issue to resolve is MM puts the license files into a folder called /application data on the device. The trouble with this is it is volatile memory so when you power off the unit the license is lost and you have to repeat the process of transferring the map from the PC to restore the licenses. The workaround for this is to make a copy of the license files inside "/application data" either in the internal storage or on the SD card and copy them back to before using MM after powering on. To make the automatic there is a fantastic utility called mortscript that is really useful to do this. It also has a choice feature that I have used to allow me to select which navigation app to use.

This might not be required, using the mortscript but out of the factory setting the system files are hidden, so to see them (and find out where MM was putting the license files), to back them up I had another registry setting to change:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\StorageManager\Profiles\NANDFLASH1]
"MountHidden"=dword:00000001
"AutoMount"=dword:00000001
"Paging"=dword:00000001
"AutoFormat"=dword:00000001
"AutoPart"=dword:00000001
"DefaultFileSystem"="FATFS"
"PartitionDriver"="mspart.dll"
"Name"="NAND FLASH Disk1"
"Folder"="Residentflash"
"CheckForFormat"=dword:00000001

"MountHidden"=dword:00000001 is the setting you may need to change from '0' to '1'

A copy of my script is below, you will have to adjust the paths to match your installs and where you have backed up your memory map license. It also backs up the MM license when you close MM incase you have activated any new maps and the license has changed.

Still TBD if this will be a good unit for motorcycle use and in particular trail riding, but I agree with Jasext value for money is great and now it running everything I want OK. The active sync issue is a minor frustration as the is no need to use it very much I hope!!

##############################################
#Mortscript
#Choose and start navigation application
#A Kendall
##############################################

#XCopy ("\Residentflash\mui\*.*", "\Windows", TRUE, TRUE)

SetChoiceEntryFormat(32,26,"Tahoma")
Choice( "Start Navi Application","Select the application to run","Memory Map","Igo","OziExplorer","Power Off" )
Case( 1 )
#Restore license and start Memory-Map
# check for Application data folder, if not create it ans sub folders
if (NOT DirExists("\Application Data"))
MkDir ("\Application Data")
endIF
#copy back-up license files to nandflash
XCopy ("\Residentflash\Application Data\*.*", "\Application Data", TRUE, TRUE)
#Message("License restored")
Sleep(1000)
SetVolume (255)
RunWait ("\SDMMC\Memory-Map-OS-5\Memory-Map_CE.exe")
#Backup license on exit incase any new maps have been activated
XCopy ("\Application Data\*.*", "\Residentflash\Application Data", TRUE, TRUE)
#Message("License backed-up")
Exit

Case( 2 )
#start Igo Primo satnav
SetVolume (255)
run ("\SDMMC\igo\9.2.0.213495.exe")
Exit

Case( 3 )
#start OziExplorer
SetVolume (255)
run ("\SDMMC\oziexplorer\OziExplorerCE.exe")
Exit

Case( 4 )
#start Power Off
run ("\Windows\PowerOff.exe")
Exit

#on cancel end script
Case( 0 )
Exit

EndChoice
Exit
##############################################
#Script End
##############################################

[APD_660Ten]

Cheers guys great stuff. Sounds like similar stuff to the peaklife hoops you need to jump through. Gonna use your idea to rebackup the appdata folder on exit.

[africanik]

Hi akendall1966,

I just got my new Rage and I am trying to follow your instructions, but I can't find a way to edit the registry setting... I tried copying some registry editor applications like those suggested here:

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums ... embplatdev

but I did not manage to run them (even setting "Navi Path" to their path and clicking on the Navigation icon does not do anything). I'm not a WinCE expert and I can't find any other way to edit the registy... what is the trick?

Thanks!!
Nicola

[akendall1966]

Nicola,

I had a quick look at that thread it seemed to be mostly about remote editing the registry from your PC, but that needs active sync working on the device to connect.

Basic steps:

copy a CE registry editor application the the rage by putting your SD card in the PC or connecting the rage by USB cable. Make sure you copy all the files as there may be an .exe and some .dll

{The one I used can be got here http://www.eurotech-inc.com/Wince-code/RegEdit.asp}

Set the navi path to the file name you copied

Hit the navi button, to run it.

I have PM'd you my email as it might be easier to talk you through it by other means. Be care with your registry though as you can break your device and AFAIK there is no copies of the rom or tools to flash it publicly availiable to recover it.

AK

[Wonkyconk]

Hi all,
Which of these sat navs would you recommend? I'm looking to pick one up but can't decide which one to buy?
I would like memory map on mine for the trails.
Cheers
Dayne

[akendall1966]

The peaklife is no longer available at Chinavision bot sure if available elsewhere but may be discontinued. On the up side they are discounting the rage to £68 for 1pc.

[jasext]

I would recommend the Peaklife, i have had mine a few years and no problem at all, the Rage is quite new to the scene but still looks a good piece of kit and takes a bit more to get everything to work and run smoothly. The peaklife can be found on a few china websites.

[BigBashBonanza]

What software do you guys run in these (Peaklife or Rage)? I am interested in a Satnav but not wanting to spend hundreds on a Garmin/TomTom. Is there a universal software package that these and other systems use? Is it easy to install and update and can you use a route planning program?

Also, as well as working as a Satnav with turn by turn road directions do these also work as a GPS as in working off the beaten track, using Memory Map?

[jasext]

They both use windows CE the Peaklife uses version 5 and the Rage uses 6. The road maps are quite easy to install and update.
The issue comes when you want to run two different mapping software as the COM ports conflict.
Yes they work offroad and all can be found on the memory map website.
If you need any info just send me a pm.